


how bad can he be?

by zaradrinkscoffee



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Badass Katara (Avatar), Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, katara is definitely not a morning person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:08:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28625463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zaradrinkscoffee/pseuds/zaradrinkscoffee
Summary: Katara's a pre-med student at Ba Sing Se University, and she's always been rather... high strung.She's painfully prone to judging people based on first impressions. She's trying to improve though, and her brother's awkward new roommate seems like a good place to start.How bad could Zuko possible be?
Relationships: Katara & Suki (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), the gaang - Relationship
Comments: 19
Kudos: 99





	1. i was doing just fine before i met you

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! i'm just super bored and had an idea for this story so i hope you just enjoy reading it (and it isn't boring hahah)! 
> 
> \- xoxo zara

**8:26 a.m - Suki💞:** KAT!!!

 **8:26 a.m - Suki💞:** HOW WERE TRYOUTS?

 **8:27 a.m - Suki💞:** pls tell me u were still amazing

 **8:35 a.m - Suki💞:** katara??

 **8:35 a.m - Suki💞:** if u fell asleep ill kill u

 **8:36 a.m - Suki💞:** i don't HOW toph and aang convinced us all to hike up to Boulder's Ridge the NIGHT BEFORE your tryouts

 **8:40 a.m - Suki💞:** do u need me to come pick u up? it's ATLEAST a twenty-five minute walk from the locker rooms and theres only twenty minutes until class!

 **8:42 a.m - Suki💞:** pick up the phone!!

 **8:43 a.m - Suki💞:** kat ur professor is going to lose it if ur late

 **8:43 a.m - Suki💞:** it's only the second week back

 **8:44 a.m -** suki

 **8:44 a.m -** kill me now

 **8:44 a.m - Suki💞:** u fell asleep didn't u

 **8:44 a.m -**...guilty

 **8:44 a.m -** im going to murder toph and aang with my bare hands

 **8:45 a.m - Suki💞:** KATARA! 

**8:45 a.m - Suki💞:** did u atleast make tryouts???

 **8:45 a.m -** oh yes don't worry i totally crushed tryouts

 **8:45 a.m -** after a celebratory shot of molten tequila (remind me to never drink that again) with some of the girls, i took a shower, almost finished changing, and proceeded to pass out on the locker room floor

 **8:46 a.m -** the other girls probably thought i was dead

 **8:46 a.m - Suki💞:** im coming to pick u up right now

 **8:46 a.m - Suki💞:** you should've taken the car!

 **8:47 a.m -** no! you'll be late, don't worry

 **8:47 a.m -** i'll ask one of the other girls for a ride, it'll be fine

 **8:48 a.m - Suki💞:** ugh r u sure? didn't they all already leave?

 **8:48 a.m -** yes! oh, i see one right there waving to me

 **8:48 a.m -** i think her name is jun or jin or something

 **8:48 a.m -** im sure she can give me a ride so don't worry, just get to class!

 **8:49 a.m -** i'll meet u after at spice cakes?

 **8:49 a.m - Suki💞:** fine, and yes of course

 **8:50 a.m - Suki💞:** idiot 

Katara lets out a heavy sigh, jamming her phone into the pocket of her high-waisted black ripped jeans and pulls on a baggy indigo sweater that crops at the edge of her stomach. She's already walking out the exit with her bag slung over her shoulder as she quickly attaches a navy choker onto her neck - putting on the necklace is second-nature to her by now. Once she's done, she begins wringing out the extra water that dampens her thick chocolate curls when -

" _Ah_! I'm sorry!" She gasps, feeling herself walk straight into something painfully _hard_. She winces as she rubs her forehead. 

"Watch it!" The guy she has just bumped into shouts exasperatedly... (was that supposed to be a reply?) before lowering his eyes and staring at her... _chin_?

Never known a guy to be interested in that, but Katara supposes its far more respectful than the popular alternative. Nevertheless, his aggravated response and silence is really annoying her. 

_Rude_ , she thinks as she pushes the short wisps of wet hair out of her eyes so she can get a better look at him, and he seems awfully familiar to her.

And how many people have very noticeable red scars located on their left eyes?

Not very many.

So Katara tilts her head and scans her mind for a name to match the face in front of her, running over the names and faces she stores inside her brain in a neatly organized diagram.

"Oh, hi! You're Sokka's roommate! Zuko, right?" She says excitedly, proud of herself for remembering. The guy however, continues to glare at her wordlessly, his forehead scrunched up in annoyance and his eyes squinting at her as if he's trying to find something inside of her.

Katara distinctly remembers her brother's quiet and somewhat angsty new roommate based on the... less than ideal first impression she'd received from him. Zuko had come off fairly rude, but Sokka had reminded her that she often misjudges people based on one interaction. Plus, he had really taken a liking to Zuko and had not stopped talking about him since he had moved in roughly a week ago. The guy apparently had a dorky sense of humor that synched perfectly with that of her brother's, and there was "more to him than what meets your overly-judgemental eye, Kat," (Sokka's words, not hers). 

So she can give this Zuko guy a chance, can't she? If Sokka likes him so much, how bad can he possibly be?

She turns her attention back to Zuko, who continues to stare at her wordlessly. Katara raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms across her chest and feeling her patience disintegrating by every silent moment that passes by. As the silence fails to be filled by him, she reluctantly fights back the urge to roll her eyes (What? She is not genetically made to be up this early, and if she's forced to function before 10 a.m., there are bound to be some, you know, unruly mutations. Right? - and... okay she's acing the genetics class she's taking that has historically been very difficult for - okay, yes, she's a crazy person that has has just written an entire story in her head and should really shut up now and - )

An eternity goes by before she finally attempts to bottle up her irritation and repeat, "right?"

Zuko takes a step back, blinking in shock. "Uhh, yeah... I guess." He sputters out, his one good eye soaking in her appearance. 

She waits for him to recognize her, but it seems that he doesn't.

Okay. That's fine. She has an impeccable memory, but it's perfectly fine. Not everyone does. 

"I'm Sokka's little sister, Katara. We met... were acquainted briefly... while I was helping him move in." She explains, a clearly unnatural smile plastered on her face that shows off her pearly white teeth. 

His amber eyes widen in realization. "Oh! Right, sorry, I'm horrible with names... and faces... and people..." He trails off, and Katara stifles her amusement for both of their sakes. "It's a really pretty name." His face turns tomato red in stricken panic. "Um...anyways, Zuko here!" He says, suddenly bright as he sticks out his hand for what she guesses is to participate in some sort of handshake - she's not entirely sure.

Nonetheless, she holds out her hand in return, feeling pleasantly surprised when her palm is warmed with his soft grip. 

After the most awkward handshake in history, Katara breathes a smile in an effort to keep the discomfort under the covers, but she painfully fails.

The hand that he shook creeps up to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear as they continue to walk towards the door, and to her surprise, Zuko falls into step with her. "Yeah, I know.”

Blood rushes to Zuko's cheeks, and his hand raises behind him to rub the back of his head in embarrassment. "Right, sorry. Uh... anyways," He averts his sight, staring straight ahead, but doesn't stop walking right alongside her. "What are you doing here so late?"

Now it's Katara's time to blush. "I kind of, uh, fell asleep."

Zuko snickers, and Katara is pretty surprised that he has the capability to find things humorous. _No firsthand judgements until you've had one real conversation with them_ is what Suki has tried to bore into her more times than she can count, and for once in her life, Katara is actually succeeding. 

She almost wants to bury herself in a hole. Being polite to a literal stranger that happens to be brand-new roommates with your brother is really not something she should mark as an accomplishment. "What about you?" She inquires.

"Lost track of time." There's a pregnant pause before he tentatively continues. "Well, um, do you have class?" 

Katara nods, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Right. Well, how did you get here?"

"I walked." Correction: she sprinted here like a madwomen because she woke up exactly three minutes _after_ she was supposed to be at the pool, dressed in swimwear, ready to swim faster than a cheetah-lion and snatch up a top spot on the varsity team for her third-year in a row. 

His eyebrows rise in surprise. "Oh, well, you're probably late, and I have, um, my own car. So if you want..." His voice fades away into awkwardness, but she sees where he's getting at and feels an odd sense of pride for picking today to listen to her brother and best friend's constant pleads to tone down on the judgement. It seems to be working in her favor, instead of backfiring the way she had predicted it would. 

Katara considers his implied proposition. She'd really rather not make him drive all the way to the Humanities building at very edge of the campus, (and while he seems to be a decent - maybe even halfway nice - person, she's not completely sure she'd want to be stuck in a car with him), but there's not a soul in sight and she definitely isn't about to call Suki or her brother or anyone else right now. And walking isn't really an option either, it would definitely make her more than a little late. 

Plus, she really wants to make sure she's in class as soon as possible today. She remembers her Ethics professor informing them of a project that would require two people to work together to design some sort of company and product or something, and she and her friend, Haru, want to ensure they can be partners for it, especially since the professor said that this would account for half of their total semester grade and they really want to make sure they don’t end up with some rando.

Katara can't fathom how this will be at all useful for her future career, but then again, most of school never is. And she's always a good student, and she can't end up with a dud for a project of this importance. 

So she doesn't exactly have any other options, does she?

Unfortunately, Katara is nothing if not self aware, and the only thing that can surpass a shoddy first impression is a heavily improved and kind second impression in her mind.

That is what Zuko is attempting to do, and she supposes that crashing into him when the sun is barely up isn't that great of an impression on her part either. And she'll just... ignore the fact that he should already know her, at least her _name_. There aren't very many Kataras in Ba Sing Se, she's assuming. 

Whatever. The past is the past.

And seeing as she has no options that sound more appealing, she decides to politely grin at him and reply, "That would be great, if you can manage it!" And after pausing for a moment, she hastily adds a gracious, though somewhat forced, "Thank you!"

They reach the door, and Zuko pulls it open, motioning for her to walk out before he follows. "Yeah, it's no problem." He mumbles, a strained smile tittering on his face.

There's only one car parked in the lot, and as the walk towards it, Katara notices the sleek, shiny black coloring and sports-car build. His car seems to be a fairly nice one, the kind she remembers seeing on the covers of her brother's car magazines. 

It's on the far end of the large parking area, newly expanded in order to accommodate for a growing amount of athletic college students. When they near the car, Katara's ocean eyes flash when she recognizes the glimmering logo on the back of the car. "Wow! You have a Sato Mobile?" 

"Uh, yeah." Zuko answers her dryly, his voice dripping in obvious embarrassment, and Katara suddenly regrets her reaction. He slips into the driver's side of the car, and Katara hesitantly opens the door on the passenger's side, feeling as if she has to treat it with delicacy. 

"What are you doing?" He sounds amused now, and although it's at her expense, she feels strangely relieved. 

"I know these cars are very expensive, so I just want to be extra careful." She tells him, and he rolls his eyes, although it doesn't seem to be in an unkind way. He watches her slowly get in and begin to grip the door lightly, sighing as he reaching over and slamming the door shut. He presses his finger onto some sort of matte glass near the steering wheel, immediately shooting the car into ignition. "Fancy." She comments. 

He grumbles. "Don't be. There's nothing special about the car. It doesn't even matter." 

"Might matter to some people." Katara mutters under her breath, frustrated for a reason she vaguely knows but can't pinpoint. 

"What did you say?" Zuko asks as he pulls out of the space and starts driving in the direction of the actual campus. 

"Oh, nothing." She exhales. 

Zuko looks as if he wants to say more, but if he does, he stops himself, instead simply asking, "Where to?" 

"The Humanities building." She cringes as she says it out loud before adding, "Sorry, I know it's pretty far. If you're going to be late, you can just let me off whenever your class is and I can walk the rest of the way."

He shakes his head quickly. "No, that's fine. I'm actually heading there myself."

 _Oh!_ "Really? That's, um, sort of perfect then." She says hesitantly. All Zuko does in response is some sort of clicking thing with his tongue, and Katara doesn't really know what to do with that. She's unwilling to sit in silence, however. "So... what class do you have?" 

He clears his throat before saying, "Oh, um, Ethics with Professor Pakku." 

"Really? Me too, actually." 

He nods his head cooly, his eyes still on the road. "Oh? That's, uh, nice. I've never seen you there."

This is something Katara really can't hold against him, because honestly, she neither as she. "Right back at you."

She catches a glance at the time on Zuko's dashboard, letting out an audible groan when she sees "9:03" glaring at back at her, practically scolding her for her irresponsible behavior. "We're going to be late." She states the obvious, though she does her best to make it clear that she isn't blaming Zuko for their tardiness. After all, she knows that if it weren't for him, she would be in a lot more trouble. 

Despite her efforts, he still instantly apologizes. "Sorry, I know, it's already past 9." He pushes harder on the gas pedal, and Katara is very aware they are speeding across campus, but she can't bring herself to care. 

No one's on the road right now anyways. 

She takes a sip from her cobalt water bottle, licking her lips and blinking. She's starting to become more awake and alert, and as a result, she feels her regular personality starting to return. "It's not your fault. You're actually saving me!" She smiles at him, forgetting he can't really see her. 

She swears she can see him give an inch of a smile too though, so maybe he can. "Pakku hates me, and if I missed a class without a good excuse, -" she snorts, "I really wouldn't put it past him to try to have me expelled." 

Zuko laughs lightly. "Can I ask why?"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, Pakku is a proud sexist. The second day of class, we had to turn in that ethical opinion essay, do you remember?" He nods, and although he still isn't looking at her, she still feels like he really cares about what she's saying. "Yeah, so I wasn't really sure if I did well on it, so the next day after class, I went up to him and asked him how I did on the essay." 

"What did he say?" He asks, his visible eyebrow spiked up in what she hopes is interest.

"He said I did _surprisingly_ well, and that it was one of the better essays he had read _from_ _a girl_." Katara can almost feel her blood boiling from a retell of the story. "I lost it, and told him off, and now, let's just say, he's not my biggest fan."

He smiles softy. "That's quite the story." 

"It is." She replies just as they pull up behind the Humanities building. 

Zuko drives them into a rare open parking spot right near the building. "9:07, let's go!" He says, and Katara notices a hint of mischief sprinkled on his face as pulls out the keys and jams them into the front pocket of his jeans as he swings his legs out of the car.

Katara grins, quickly jumping out of the car with her bag and joining him as they hightail it towards the building, through the hallways, and up two flights of stairs.

When they finally make it to the doors of their class, they are both panting like cat-dogs, cheeks flushed in red. "We made it." Zuko announces, motioning at the door. "Ready to go in?"

"Guess so." She says, the grin that had formed on her face in the car still stuck on her face. "Um, thank you, again." 

Zuko waves her off, pushing the right grey door open with his shoulder as silently as possible. They both do their best to sneak in, but Katara can already feel Pakku's eyes bore into her, and mentally curses him.

"Katara!... and your name again?" Pakku crosses his arm, a smirk flashing on his wrinkled face.

"Uh, Zuko, sir." 

"Well, it's nice of you both to grace us all with your presence," - he raises his arm to check his watch - "ten minutes after class has already begun."

Katara and Zuko stand sheepishly and quiet at the top of the stairs, and Pakku continues. "Seeing as all the rest of the assignments for your upcoming group project have already been assigned..." Oh. 

_Oh no_. 

"You both will now be working together on your first Ethics project. Now if it's okay with you two, I'd like to proceed in teaching my class. I'd appreciate if you both would stop standing there like morons and take a seat." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that's the first chapter! i did my best to keep both Katara and Zuko in character but im not sure if i did it well, so please let me know what you think about this so far! :)))


	2. it's nice talking to you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is chapter 2! i know that there isn't a lot of zuko and katara interaction this chapter, but it's setting up for one next chapter:) anyways, i hope you enjoy reading this!
> 
> \- xoxo zara

"Katara! The usual, I assume?" 

"Yeah. Thanks, Anya." Katara answers the talented owner of the small dessert stand plopped in the center of the Humanities, Law, and Business buildings. It's been her friend group's favorite campus meeting spot for years - ever since Sokka, Suki, and herself realized the first week of their freshman year that heading to The Jasmine Dragon in between classes guaranteed them a tardy arrival for the class that followed.

After their first class on Mondays this year, she and Suki have lengthy break before their second class, so they always are sure to meet up here. Toph texted earlier that she'd be here too, but Sokka's Monday mornings are allocated for sleeping in, so he definitely wouldn't be showing up. Aang occasionally comes, but she hadn't heard from him yet, so she wasn't really sure if he'd be here. 

"And anything for any of them?" Anya inquires brightly as she scoops out some cinnafire ice cream on top of a scorching sizzled brownie, which is Katara's favorite on the stand's vast menu. 

Katara pulls her phone out from the back pocket of her jeans, switching it on to be greeted to a shimmering ocean wallpaper and two texts from Aang informing the group chat that he had a beach cleanup with his Environmental Club meeting to go to and couldn't make it. 

She swipes up, unlocking her phone and clicking on her messages with Toph, who insists on trying something different each time she comes. Due to Anya's knack for coming up with new and _unique_ dishes, the specials menu changes every week, so Toph has yet to be bored. 

"Uh, yeah. Suki's regular, and a..." Katara inspects the specials options that are posted on top of the stand to double-check that the dessert Toph is asking for is actually available, and _of_ _course_ , it is, "... a bowl of fried turtleduck drizzled in Gaoling chocolate?"

How did she even know that was going to be offered this week? It's literally Monday morning! 

Then again, it's Toph. 

Anya nods excitedly, probably because Toph is the first person so far that has dared to try one of her newest concoctions. "Coming right up!"

Katara leans on the edge of the stand, idly fiddling with her fingers and trying her best not to think about the eventful morning she's been through.

A couple of other students from her recent class show up, and two of them also order the chocolate turtleduck, making Katara inwardly cringe. They wave to her after they order and one of the girls invite her to come sit with them, but she declines politely, telling them she's waiting for some friends. 

Where those friends are right now is beyond her.

A few minutes later, Anya hands her a tray that contains her own order, Suki's classic cayenne spice cake, and Toph's... chocolate turtleduck. She thanks her quickly, handing her a few coins before she walks over to the seating area, keeping her eyes straight ahead and away from the food on her tray. 

Katara places the tray on the coffee table and is about to fall back onto the evergreen sofa behind her when she spots Suki jogging up to her. Her motions are casual, and she's wearing an easygoing smile as she greets Katara with a quick hug. They both settle on the couch before Suki asks her to tell her everything about her swim tryouts. 

Katara finishes relaying the events of tryouts (how she'd swam the laps a good ten seconds ahead of the rest of her team and how her coach asked her if she'd been a koi-fish in her past life), before Suki asks, "So how was Jun or Jin or whoever?"

"Hm?" Katara says, confused for a short second before she groans. "Oh, that. The girls had all already left by then, so I couldn't get a ride from anyone else." This earned her a striking punch to her shoulder from Suki that she had most definitely learned from Toph. "No, it was okay. I actually bumped into Zuko, and he offered me a ride to class. He was actually in the same one."

Tapping a finger to her chin, Suki thinks for a moment. "Zuko as in Sokka's roommate, Zuko?" 

"Have you met another Zuko?" 

"No," Suki admits, "but isn't he kind of... how do I say this?" She pauses, carefully choosing her words. "Aloof, rude, hot-headed?" 

"Well, he isn't as bad as he came across." Katara defends honestly. Suki gives her a pointed look, and Katara clears her throat. "Either way, his personality traits or mannerisms don't really matter to me. He got me to class, that's all that matters."

With a snort, Suki raises an eyebrow in disbelief. "Since when do you not care if people are rude or, you know, imperfect?" 

"I put it up with you, don't I?" Katara shoots back. 

"Woah. Did Sugar Queen turn sour?!" Even if Katara didn't recognize the voice, her least-favorite nickname is only used by one person. She's about to fire back at Toph with an equally snarky remark when she hears her phone buzz. 

Opening her phone to see who had texted her, Katara laughs to herself as she reads the message. 

**10:34 a.m - Zuko:** Uh, hello, Zuko here!

 **10:35 a.m -** yeah, i know😂 we exchanged numbers, remember?

 **10:35 a.m - Zuko:** Oh, right!

 **10:35 a.m - Zuko:** My bad, sorry.

 **10:35 a.m - Zuko:** Well anyway, I was texting to see when you were free to, you know, do the thing?

Katara lets out a suppressed giggle. Zuko has gone from incredibly mysterious and rude to unbelievably awkward in record time. She knows exactly what he's talking about, but the wheels in her mind are already turning, so she decides to play innocent and make him say it himself.

 **10:36 a.m -** i don't, actually

 **10:36 a.m -** what thing?

 **10:36 a.m - Zuko:** The class thing?

 **10:37 a.m -** im sorry, what do you mean?

 **10:37 a.m - Zuko:** The Ethics class project thing?

 **10:37 a.m -** yeah, what about it?

 **10:37 a.m - Zuko:** We are partners for it.

 **10:38 a.m - Zuko:** Oh, well I guess you probably already knew that. 

**10:38 a.m -** yup. 

**10:38 a.m - Zuko:** Well, for the project we were supposed to work on it together.

 **10:39 a.m -** yes...

This is really, really, fun.

 **10:39 a.m - Zuko:** In person, I think.

 **10:39 a.m -** probably

 **10:39 a.m -** what exactly r u asking me, zuko?

 **10:40 a.m - Zuko:** When are you free to meet up to work on our project?

Took him long enough. Katara's about to reply when a loud voice knocks her out of her thoughts.

"Earth to Sweetness! Who are you talking to that's making you... extra sweet?" Toph questions. 

"Yeah, Kat, who are you even talking to?" Suki adds with a sly grin. 

Katara lets out a breath. "Zuko, actually. We were both late and ended up getting assigned to work together on that project I was telling you about." 

"Oh?" The grin has turned into a full-blown smirk that stretches over Suki's pale face. "What happened to Haru?"

"Everyone already got assigned, including _Haru_. Zuko and I got there late, and we were the only ones left, so Professor Dumbass paired us together." Katara explains.

"She doesn't look so upset about it." Toph smirks, propping her foot on the center table as she leans back on a swivel chair with her hands crossed behind her head. _When had she even sat down?_ "Considering she's been smiling like a total dork the entire she's been apparently texting him." 

"Toph! He's just pretty funny, it doesn't mean anything." Katara says quickly, hoping to avoid this conversation from prolonging. "Plus, you can't even _see_ , what do you mean by 'I don't look upset'?"

Toph just laughs. "I think we all know by now that I don't need working eyes to see." 

That's... true. Katara to this day has absolutely no idea how Toph seems to know where everything is, never bumps into anyone or anything, and is always able to sniff out the lies that even Suki can't. 

"And did you just call Mr. Hothead funny?" Suki snickers with a quizzical expression.

"I barely even know him! I just need to work with him on this project!"

Suki nudges her shoulder. "Come on, you like him! It's written all over your face. And you're going to be seeing him pretty frequently, _and_ he's Sokka's favorite roommate, apparently."

"Yeah!" Toph agrees. "Plus, it's really time to get back in the game, Sugar Queen. It's been, what? - like a year and a half since... you-know-who?" 

Katara's eyes turn dark, a storm overtaking her bright ocean eyes.

"Toph!" Suki hisses in disapproval. 

Katara blows out a sigh, assuring Suki it was fine before turning back to her phone. 

**10:44 a.m -** sorry, i got interrupted💀 

**10:45 a.m -** i can't today, but i'm free tomorrow after 7 p.m

 **10:45 a.m - Zuko:** 7 works for me. Do you want to come work at my apartment?

 **10:45 a.m -** that sounds good!

 **10:46 a.m - Zuko:** Okay! I can send you the address.

 **10:46 a.m -** that won't be necessary😂 ik where that is

 **10:46 a.m -** sokka, remember?

 **10:46 a.m - Zuko:** Oh, yeah. Sorry. 

**10:47 a.m -** no worries lol, i'll see you then!

 **10:47 a.m - Zuko:** Yeah. See you then!

She smiles, clicking her phone off and turning her attention back to Toph and Suki, who are now arguing about what to do this Friday for the gang's normal hangout night. Suki wants to have a lazy night and watch movies all night, while Toph is saying that that's boring and that they should all go watch the wrestling match at the arena. 

"Guys, eat your food! It's probably already cold!" Katara tells them, handing Toph her plate before taking her own. 

Suki scrunches up her face. "What is _that_?" She points to what Toph has begun eating. 

Toph grins evilly. "Chocolate turtleduck." 

Suki gags, and Katara averts her gaze shifting her position so she's only looking at Suki. 

The conversation resumes, and by the time Toph has to get to her next class, Suki, with Katara's help, has wore Toph down to mover night with a promise that they can watch her favorite mover, The Boulder vs. The Unagi, first. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahah i couldn't not include "hello, zuko here!" (i kind of based this whole chapter on that, sorry). but please comment or leave a kudos if you liked this and would want to see more! i hope i'm doing a good job keeping Katara and Zuko in character, so i would love to hear from any of you! :))


	3. equal disagreement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! so this is chapter 3. hope you guys enjoy reading!
> 
> and also, i hope this isn't too boring because that's honestly my biggest fear about this story, so please let me know what you think!
> 
> \- xoxo zara

Blowing out a sigh of exhaustion, Katara quickly rushes through the sliding glass doors that let her out of National Earth Kingdom Hospital, relaxing a bit when she sees the pinks and oranges that paint the sky every evening. It's refreshing to breathe in fresh air after spending the last four hours volunteering in a stuffy and tolling emergency room. 

And don't get her mistaken, Katara loves it. After all, she is studying (very, very hard) in order to become a doctor, and she is incredibly lucky to have gotten a position at the best hospital in the Earth Kingdom where she can complete her mandatory clinical hours. 

It's just a little hard to be thankful for that when you're working a grueling evening shift at the busiest emergency room in Ba Sing Se.

Katara is just slightly tempted to flake out on Zuko and retreat back to her dorm room to take a much-needed nap. She's been up since 6:30 in the morning, waking up earlier than the sun to head off to the second day of swim tryouts (where she _doesn't_ fall asleep, luckily) before spending the next few hours in back-to-back morning classes, grabbing a late lunch with Aang, and speeding over to the hospital to make sure she isn't late. 

She's not a bad person for opting out. They have weeks to finish the project, and she can easily meet Zuko another day, where she isn't as worn out, to begin working on it. 

But no, she won't do that. She can't. 

So Katara hastily slips into the rusty Hahn that she shares with Suki, jamming the key into the hole in the dashboard and twisting it a few times before the engine finally comes to life.

The two of them sharing one car is less than ideal, and this was neither one of their initial plans. Katara and Suki had spent the entirety of high school babysitting and picking up odd jobs to buy their own cars before heading to college. However, when the time came, they were both equally saddened to find that the money they had saved up was not nearly enough to buy cars of their own, but by pooling their money, (and a _tiny_ contribution from Suki's aunt), they were able to buy a used-car, which is much better than nothing. 

Luckily for Katara, one of Suki's kickboxing friends offered her a ride today, so the Katara has full authority on the car for the rest of the night. 

She drives through the college area of the city easily, having driven to her brother's apartment from the hospital several times before. Although Zuko is new, Sokka has actually lived in the apartment since last year. His old roommate, who was also Katara's ex-boyfriend, was... let's just say, not living there anymore, so Sokka had spent the last two weeks before classes started rigorously interviewing candidates before he decided on Zuko. 

Soothing orchestral music plays through the car's stereo, and Katara hums along, turning the music up and blocking out the rest of the sounds that fill this part of the city. Eventually, she pulls up next to Sokka's motorcycle. 

Yeah, that's right. When Katara was younger, she would've _never_ imagined her brother to be the type of guy that rides a motorcycle. (Honestly, she still doesn't). But Sokka could not be bothered to save up for a car, instead opting to get around with their dad's old (and free) motorcycle. 

Katara remembers getting so angry at him at first, claiming he would get himself killed one of those days. But surprisingly, he had since proven that he could get around on it safely, and Katara had given up by the time college rolled around. 

The memory of Katara chasing Sokka down the streets plays through her head, giving her a distraction from the fact that she's currently standing in an elevator, heading to her brother's apartment. _Normal_. 

However, she's not going there for Sokka. _Not normal_. 

She walks out of the elevator nervously, pulling on the strap of her deep indigo backpack to keep it from slipping off her shoulder. Hesitating, she inhales sharply before she knocks on the door of the apartment. 

Footsteps near quickly, a single lock clicking open. 

"Kat?" Sokka squints as he opens the door, looking at her quizzically for a few seconds. "Why'd you make me get up?" He whines, turning around and flopping back onto the couch. 

He's kind of right - Katara does have a key, after all. She's not entirely sure why she didn't choose to use it (especially since it was Sokka who answered the door). 

"Katara?" Another voice - one that's definitely not Sokka - gasps from inside one of the rooms, voice filled with shock. The door opens, and out walks Zuko, his hair messy and ruffled and his almond eyes blazing with panic. "You're here early!" He squeaks out.

"I am?" She stammers, genuinely surprised. She glances at the clock hung on top of the couch Sokka's sitting on, ocean eyes widening when she realizes that the time reads 6:44. Zuko's right. Being _early_ is probably a first for her. 

Sokka looks between them, obviously confused. "Early for what?" He inquires, finally. Zuko is stiff and motionless just outside the door to his room, and Katara realizes she is frozen in the doorway to the apartment. They both remain in paralyzing silence, wordlessly staring at eachother, seemingly urging the other to answer. 

"Hello?" Sokka drawls. "Knock knock, is Zuko there?" He groans when Zuko remains quiet. "Kat? Hello?" He tries, rolling his eyes before he lets out a blood-curdling scream. "Katara!"

Blinking, Katara is brought out of her trance. "Oh, Zuko and I have to work together on a project for our Ethics class." She explains, trying to make it sound as casual as possible. She closes her eyes, bracing herself for whatever stupid joke or comment Sokka will make. 

However, to her surprise, he just shrugs and starts getting up from the couch again. "Oh, well, great. I have to go anyways. Aang and Toph and I are going air-bowling. You know, at that new place down in the middle ring? I forgot what it's called. Um, Kat, can you let me through?"

 _Oh_. She's still standing in the door. Katara shifts to the side awkwardly, and Sokka gives them both strange looks before heading out, seemingly not caring that neither of them had even responded to his announcement.

"You can come in, you know, if you want... I mean, if you're here you probably want to, unless you don't, um -" He could probably go on forever. But Katara decides to put him out of his misery, just this once (it might be because this is equally painful for her).

"I do, Zuko, relax." She interrupts him, taking a few steps forward and closing the door behind her. She looks around a bit, trying and failing to give Zuko the chance to say something _(anything_ ) _,_ her finger twirling a lock of her hair. Her patience wavers, like usual. "So where do you want to work?" 

Zuko face drops. "Oh! Um, we could work here, if that's okay with you?' His arm extends, motioning to the couch. 

"Sure." She answers kindly, making her way to one end of the couch. He quickly gets to the other, before realizing he _probably_ needs his stuff. 

After they are both finally settled, Katara turns to him with a determined smile and breaks the silence. "So, let's start." 

Zuko nods in return, and for a moment, Katara thinks this won't be too bad.

* * *

Katara really hates being wrong. 

Unfortunately, they spend the next hour and a half making absolutely zero progress on even the most basic aspects of the project. Instead, they keep indirectly disagreeing with the other's ideas without actually voicing their disapproval. 

It's more, "What about an ice skating rink as our company?" as a suggestion, and, "Oh! That's a great idea... but most people don't know ice skate, especially in Ba Sing Se, so I feel like our business would fail.. but I don't know!" as a reply. 

It's utterly exhausting. 

When Zuko gets a phone call from his uncle and excuses himself, disappearing into his room and shooting her in apologetic look, Katara is relieved.

She debates texting Suki for a split second, but eventually gives in, because she _has_ to inform someone about her current predicament (and how much she wants to stab herself in the heart right now). 

Before she can even send a text, she realizes she probably should have atleast _told_ Suki about her plans. Especially knowing what's happened in the past. 

**7:18 p.m - Suki💞:** where in the spirit world r u?

 **7:19 p.m - Suki💞:** u were supposed to b done w the clinic like more than thirty minutes ago, right?

 _Missed call from Suki **💞**_ _at 7:21 p.m_

 **7:24 p.m - Suki💞:** okay kat WHERE R U

 _Two missed calls from Suki **💞**_ _at 7:27 p.m_

 **7:46 p.m - Suki💞:** i called sokka and he told me u were at his apartment ALONE w ZUKO to work on ur project

 **7:47 p.m - Suki💞:** thanks for letting me know:/

 **7:49 p.m - Suki💞:** ugh

 **7:49 p.m - Suki💞:** glad ur okay though 😘

Katara feels a bolt of guilt pooling in her chest, quickly typing a response back.

 **8:29 p.m -** oh, i'm sorry!! i should have told u

 **8:29 p.m - Suki💞:** hey, it's okay

 **8:30 p.m - Suki💞:** really

 **8:31 p.m - Suki💞:** anyways, soooo

 **8:31 p.m - Suki💞:** how's it going? 😉

 **8:32 p.m -** IM DYING HERE

 **8:32 p.m -** we can't agree on anything ab this project and im absolutely starved, i haven't ate anything since before the hospital

 **8:33 p.m -** but idk what to do

 **8:34 p.m - Suki💞:** just ask him to go eat some dinner!

 **8:34 p.m -** suki!

 **8:35 p.m - Suki💞:** what? 😁

 **8:35 p.m - Suki💞:** u guys will probably think better if you aren't hungry!

 **8:36 p.m -** ugh fine, i'll ask him

 **8:36 p.m -** which means i'll probably not b home for dinner, unless u wanna meet us there? 🤡

 **8:37 p.m - Suki💞:** ha ha. have fun!

 **8:37 p.m - 😑** bye suki

She's slipping her phone back into the front pocket of her backpack - since the black short skirt, dark grey mesh tights, or aqua chunky sweater she's wearing all don't have any space for a phone - when Zuko walks out. Perfect timing. 

"Sorry, my uncle had some trouble sending an email to some person for work and, of course, he enlisted me to direct him on how to do it. Never thought an email could be so hard to send." He tells her with a soft chuckle.

Katara giggles, a wistful expression overtaking her face before she notices. "You don't have to tell me, I get it. My gran-gran would _always_ make me search up things for her on Wan Shi Tong because she wouldn't understand, no matter how much I'd explain it to her." 

"It's so infuriating." Zuko says, and Katara nods in agreement.

"Anyways, we don't seem to be getting anywhere on our project right now," Katara starts, taking a deep breath before she goes on, "so would you want to grab something to eat before we continue?" 

"Sure!" Zuko sputters out, cheeks flushing bright red against his pale skin. He clears his throat. "I mean, yeah, that sounds good."

Internally relieved, Katara grins widely. "Okay!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... yeah. that's the end of chapter 3. next chapter, we'll get to see what happens at dinner - should be interesting. 
> 
> i also like including some sort of texting section to each chapter, so let me know if that's something you like or if it's something you think the chapters would be better without!
> 
> i hope you guys like this so far, and if you do and want to see more please leave a kudos or a comment! i would love to hear from you guys:))!
> 
> anyways, have a great day!


	4. churning tides and open waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! so this is the chapter 4 update, and as always, i hope you guys enjoy reading!
> 
> \- xoxo zara

Ever since she was little, Katara had always been naturally friendly. She wasn't as bubbly as Aang, as funny as Sokka, as bold as Suki, but being kind, polite, outgoing? - that was historically her strong suit. She somehow always knew exactly what people needed to hear, and she wasn't afraid to tell them.

Her brother and Toph and Aang would often describe her as motherly - which was true, probably.

Although Katara had never called it that or thought of it like that, she had basically become the mother figure in Sokka's life from a very young age. And when she had met Toph and Aang, somehow, she'd become a surrogate mother to them too. She had singlehandedly been in charge - making sure they were all safe and had eaten properly, being there for them whenever they were upset and just needed a hug, and scolding them when they had done something wrong. 

Her motherly persona had, somewhere along the way, become an essential part of her personality. It felt as though she had an extra bone in her body, pulling the rest of her down, almost feeling like a burden to the rest of her body. 

Maybe she'd be better off without it - maybe she'd be lighter, freer. But this was who she was, who she'd had to become when she was young and impressionable and has carried on through all her life until it's just become _her_ ; like she's nothing without it.

Of course, she is. She knows she is. _Mother_ isn't Katara's only label, she's aware of that. She's a lot of different things to a lot of different people - but this need to parent, watch over, keep your guard up...

It's always been there, like an undying fire that's kept burning for as long as she can remember. Her mother's death was a fan to her flames. 

The person she feels the least need to parent has always been Suki. Suki was often her shoulder to cry on, like Katara was for most everyone else she knew well. Even with Suki though, Katara feels the need to make her bed when Suki gets up early and doesn't have time to do it herself, or fuss over her when she's sick, or ensure they both eat properly, even if they are extremely busy. 

With anyone Katara can ever remember meeting, she's either instantly despised them for good felt or felt an immediate urge to care for them, to be all cheery and friendly towards them, to befriend them - and there was no in between.

She's always been this way, and virtually anyone that has made a lasting impact in her life has fit with the latter. Even for some people that never really deserved it. 

Which is why _Zuko_ is an enigma that she can't solve. It's almost as if he is simply a strange figment in her overly-overt imagination.

She's about to have dinner with him; however, she hasn't said a single word to him the entire walk to whatever place he was taking her to.

Unsurprisingly, neither had he. 

She hasn't had any motivation to act overly friendly, ask him about his day. When he left the apartment in a maroon short-sleeve tee, she hadn't even told him to put on a jacket. 

But she hasn't exactly wanted to kill him either. 

The sky above them is a deep, dark sea of infinite nightmares with a light dusting of hopeful dreams - twinkling stars that shine brightly, like diamonds among despair.

Katara has always loved the night. She mourns the sunrise and everything that accompanies it, preferring the lonely company that overtakes her in a city once the lights dim.

Her silent appreciation for the serenity of the night is often ruined whenever she is with someone else. If she's with someone, she's _something_ , whether they are talking or not. She's a midnight hiker or a late-night snacker or a partying drunk. 

She's never just _Katara_. 

But right now, with Zuko, she isn't defined by anything. She's just her. He just lets her _be_. The silence between them is no longer uncomfortable. It is now mutual, companionable. 

It's nice, that's all. 

* * *

When they arrive, the silence is quickly broken.

"So here it is." Zuko presents. 

Katara glances up, the neon fluorescent lights casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto her face. "The Blazing Snowflake." She reads out loud. It's a ~~cheesy~~ interesting name.

As they walk inside, Zuko's face brightens. "Yeah. It's water-tribe and fire-nation fusion food. You've probably never had it, growing up at the Water Tribes, but it's amazing! At least, I think."

"It is." She agrees, shocking Zuko more than she thinks he'd like to admit. "I've had it, a lot - it's actually my favorite!" 

Zuko looks impressed, although she has no idea why. 

The restaurant is fairly low-key and inexpensive, which engulfs Katara with a wave of relief. Judging by the luxury car he drives, she can safely assume that he's pretty well off.

Katara, on the other hand, is definitely _not_ , and she's not about to send chaos to her bank account because some rich guy brought her to some fancy restaurant with waterfalls and snooty waiters and ridiculously tiny plates of roasted moose-lion (okay, what? she's never been to a fancy restaurant before, and the only information she receives about the elite comes from Toph, who is not the most reputable source when it comes to the upper-class). 

Anyways, this place seems quaint and charming and certainly affordable. The decor is modest, with royal rouge and piercing turquoise booths, small fountains lined on the countertops, and slightly dimmed overhead lighting. Light instrumental play through the ceiling speakers and adorn the eatery with an odd comfort. Katara can't quite place the scent she sniffs, but she knows it's distinctly familiar - it makes her feel like she's been here before, even though she hasn't. 

Zuko leads her to a comfy and secluded booth near the back, sliding into the red-colored booth as she settles in front of him in the blue-colored booth.

A waitress hands them two menus with a short but sweet greeting, and Katara begins to look through the options.

"The sea prunes here are really good." Zuko tells her before freezing. "I mean, obviously, they aren't as fresh or good as they would be at the Water Tribes... sorry."

She chuckles. "Don't worry, I wouldn't even know what traditional Water Tribe sea prunes taste like. I'm sure these will be great." 

Zuko's face changes from embarrassed to confused. "What? Sokka told me he was from the Water Tribes!"

"That's all he told you about his childhood?" She confirms in disbelief. Wasn't this guy supposed to be Sokka's best friend? Katara certainly knows everything there is to know about Suki. 

Then again, she's known Suki since she was nine and Sokka only met Zuko two weeks ago. 

"Yeah." Zuko affirms, and Katara shakes her head in disapproval.

"Well, he's right - we are originally from the Southern Water Tribe," she admits, "but we moved to Republic City when we were pretty young." 

Zuko looks intrigued. "Really?" Curiosity possesses his mouth, and he blurts out, "Why'd you move?" He internally cringes. It seems like he's interrogating her or something.

A crestfallen expression suddenly falls over Katara's face, childhood storms whirling strongly behind the blue in her eyes. 

His voice turns shrill and heavy with panic. "Oh, I'm, I'm sorry! You don't have to answer that, it was -" 

She cuts him off curtly. "No, it's okay." Her arms move to rest on the table, and her eyes downcast, staring intently at her fiddling fingers. "My gran-gran and brother and I moved there for a new start, um... after my mom died." Katara refuses to talk about it any more than that - she knows what happens to her when she opens the bottle of grief that she keeps locked so tightly inside her bones. 

The color drains from Zuko's face, his eyes wide. His hand somehow moves from his lap to her fingers, squeezing them softly in comfort. His awkwardness is temporarily cured, apparently. "Oh! I'm, I'm so sorry." He doesn't pull away. 

It lasts for only just a moment, yet it feels much more and far too less at the same time. It's as if the two of them are stuck in frozen time, the outside world a mere afterthought. She catches a glimpse of the golden gleaming in his eyes, and he is mesmerized by the fiery blue moons that shine in hers. 

He blinks and she exhales sharply, and just like that, they return to reality. His warm grip quickly jerks away, hands returning to sit on his lap. 

Is it weird that she misses it?

He looks as if he wants to say something, but can't form the words, can't merge the phrases together to make a coherent sentence. So instead, he says nothing.

Katara almost can't remember his response at first, but she racks her brain, realizing he simply said he was sorry.

Her fingers have ridden up to envelop around the pendant of her mother's necklace - it's a pure reflex. She pulls off a casual smile, waving him off indiscreetly. "It's okay. Uh, anyways, where are you from?" He begins to open his mouth to reply, but she holds out her palm to stop him. She's smarter than this, and she can't resist. "Wait... let me guess... the Fire Nation?" 

"How did you know?" Zuko drawls incredulously, making a point to roll his amber eyes - a staple of Fire Nation nationality.

Cheekily, she shrugs. "Lucky guess." 

After the waitress comes to scribble down their orders, Katara refuses to fall into complete silence, so she lets out a complaint about the _wonderful_ progress they have made on their project. The hearty laugh her sarcasm earns from Zuko makes something inside of her glow, like one of the lanterns she hazily remembers lighting during the few Glacier Spirits Festivals she had been old enough to recall from her limited time spent in the South. 

The short conversation regarding their project falls into disarray soon after the food arrives. The sea prunes are roasted well and rolled in spicy fire sauce. Growing up in the largest and most culturally-diverse city by a long shot, Katara has tried a variety of different foods and cuisines and fusions that she would have never even dreamed of existing, but there is something about this dish.

Maybe it's just the fact that she's had a long day and had been dangerously close to starvation, but it tastes better somehow. 

"So," Zuko starts, and Katara is a little shocked. She never would have imagined Zuko to start a conversation purely by his own volition. "what's your major?"

She takes a sip of her sparkling water, savoring the chill it leaves in her mouth. "Pre-med." She answers afterwards. 

"Really?" He seems thoroughly impressed, which feels a bit stupid to Katara, although she can't help but ignore the inch of pride that swells in her chest. _Really!_

"Haven't saved any lives yet, but yeah, I guess." She says in a tone that she hopes is nonchalant. "What about you?"

"Double major: Business and PoliSci." He tells her, gulping down a bite of his food. 

"Ambitious." She comments with an acknowledging nod. 

Zuko raises his single eyebrow. "Not as ambitious as Medicine." He retorts. 

He's right, but Katara chooses to ignore that. 

"Why are you pre-med?" He asks, the intrigue drawn over his expression. His eyes widen, and he lets out a shaky laugh, his pale cheeks flushing crimson as he face-palms himself. "I mean, obviously, because you want to be a doctor, but I meant like... you know, why, and um, your field, or like, your, um... _thing_?" He stammers, the red on his face only turning darker. 

She snorts light-heartedly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "I've always wanted to like, help people. I mean, I know there are lots of ways to help people, but I've loved the idea of being a doctor, ever since I was little. For most of my life, it had just been a silly dream to me, something that I wouldn't ever actually be able to do or afford." 

"What changed?" His voice was so soft that it managed to send ripples of courage down her spine. 

Katara hesitates for half a second. She doesn't enjoy talking about the hard things. It's far too easy to get lost in the trauma, so she avoids the things that hit a little too close to home. Besides, there are plenty of happier topics to converse about, and reliving the worst times of her life isn't going to help anyone. 

But she sees Zuko staring at her across the table intently, his eyes shining in genuineity, and she makes an impromptu decision to atleast tell him briefly about one part of it. "Um, well, Sokka and I, our dad was... never around, and our grandmother practically raised us. When I was fifteen, she was diagnosed with cancer, and during and after all of that, I knew I needed to go into medicine no matter what - oncology specifically, although I'm not quite there yet." She attempts to laugh, but all that comes out is some weird squeaking sound that she tries and fails to disguise. 

She almost thinks about telling him about the other part, about letting the carefully structured dam fall to pieces, about allowing the pent-up rivers to explode, about throwing her protective mask into the sky.

But she doesn't.

"That's, that's really admirable, Katara." Zuko says finally. It's not much, but it's exactly what Katara needed to hear. She doesn't need pity. She needed that. 

How does he know, though? 

"Thanks." She says with a small smile, making sure her voice doesn't break. She doesn't need to say how much his words mean to her - she has a feeling he knows. "Anyways, why did you choose a double major?" 

She figures it's fair ground, considering he already asked her a similar question. 

Zuko's face turns angry. "It's complicated." He mutters. 

Is he kidding? "What do you mean, it's complicated?" Katara asks, biting her tongue and keeping her voice level and encouraging. "You can tell me, you know." 

His entire demeanor tells her something, but what comes out of his mouth is completely inconsistent. "It's nothing." He practically grumbles. It's like _he's_ annoyed at _her_ for even _daring_ to ask him such a _personal_ question. 

Still, Katara keeps her composure intact. "I promise I won't judge."

"I told you, it's nothing. Just leave it." His voice raises, his eyes wide and burning with rage. 

Katara breaks. "You know what? Fine, _Zuko_." Her voice is cold as ice, steely cutting through him. "I poured my heart out to you, and you can't even tell me why you chose to take a freaking double major?" Tears pool under her eyes, threaten to fall, but she blinks them back stubbornly. 

"I thought we were getting somewhere, and I trusted you! That was stupid of me, because apparently _you_ can't trust _me_ with anything!" 

She had been vulnerable with him. She had let herself go and trusted _another guy_. And it had backfired on her. She had made a promise to herself and the Spirits that she would _never_ let that happen again. 

Of course, it wasn't the same, but to Katara, it was equally humiliating. 

Her hands hurriedly search across the cushion for her purse, but she soon realizes she hadn't brought one.

 _Whatever_. 

Katara pushes herself out of the booth, leaving her delicious, half-eaten sea prunes sitting on the tables. Her eyes are blared in red and her heart beats rapidly beneath her chest. Her steps would probably be considered stomps, but she could care less right now. 

"Kat-" Zuko starts to call after her, causing the other people in the booth to turn their heads. 

She jerks her head back. "What do you want, Zuko?" The words are spit out of her mouth as if they are poison. 

He says nothing, and she thinks he might look a bit regretful now.

It's a bit too late.

She turns back and continues marching towards the door. "Katara!" He screams it now, as if that will make her less outraged?

"What?!" She demands, fuming. 

"How... how are you going to get home? Don't you need me to drive you?" 

She laughs with malice. "No, but thanks for the offer, _Zuko_. How do you think I got here? I might not be some rich guy with some fancy Sato Mobile like you, but I'm perfectly capable of getting myself home!" She yells back at him. She might be a tad overdramatic, but she really doesn't care right now. Katara pushes the door open with her elbow and disappears into the darkness that always accompanies the night. 

The twinkling stars don't look quite as beautiful when they are viewed through blurred, angry lenses. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... yeah, this took a turn. i knew i didn't want it to be so easy after the initial bad vibes Katara got from Zuko, because i really loved watching the journey their relationship took on the show when Katara gave Zuko a chance and then got mad at him and eventually forgave him. (i'm a really big fan of the whole enemies to lovers trope, and i'm not exactly trying to make that happen because it's a college AU but i am inspired by it slightly). i do know i wanted them to have some sort of fight, and it just ended up happening in this chapter. it came kind of naturally to me so i hope it feels natural and organic in the story as well.
> 
> i also didn't include a texting section in this chapter because i didn't really know how to incorporate it in a way where it didn't feel forced. (not that anyone cares lol)
> 
> anyways though, please let me know if you liked this (or didn't) and if you want more! i would love to hear from any of you!
> 
> but yeah, that's all. have a great day:))!


	5. remember last night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! a new installment - chapter 5. as always, i hope you guys enjoy reading!
> 
> \- xoxo zara

The rest of the week bleeds into a blurred mess of classes and swim practices and clinical hours and late-night shifts at The Jasmine Dragon. Even if Katara had wanted to think about what had happened with Zuko that night, she barely has any time to spare (and if she does, it's usually spent catching up on some sleep). 

Well, she does have time tonight, but after the especially grueling week she's had, Katara wants nothing but to spend the night relaxing while she watches movers with her favorite people in the world, even if they do have to watch Toph's questionable mover choices. 

"Suki, no one cares what you wear. The only people that are going to see you are Sokka, Aang, and Toph." She groans, impatiently waiting for her best friend to pick out something, _anything_ , to wear so they can head to Sokka's apartment. (Katara is very much trying to ignore the plausible idea that Zuko might be lurking around somewhere when she gets there). 

"And you!" Suki points out.

Katara rolls her eyes, letting her head fall back onto Suki's fluffy pillow. "You literally live with me!" 

Suki turns around, her back facing the tiny dorm closet. Her arms are crossed and her face is pouty as she says, "I'll have you know, I'm going to be seeing my _boyfriend_ and I would really like to look presentable."

"You mean for my stupid brother who's head over heels in love with you, who you've known since you were ten, and who you've been dating since you were fifteen?" Katara shoots at her exasperatedly. "Plus, when have you ever worried about what Sokka thinks of you?"

With that, Suki collapses onto her bed with a sigh, turning her head to the side to look at Katara. "Ugh, I know. I'm just tired and don't feel like changing into anything."

"Then don't! What you have on is fine, just put this on over your shirt." Katara commands her, reaching over to grab the green Kyoshi Warriors Martial Arts Studio sweatshirt hanging over Suki's headboard and tossing it over her roommate's face. "C'mon, I really want to just settle in and relax!"

Five more minutes pass before Katara finally convinces Suki to just put on the sweatshirt and get up. They are finally about to step out the door when Katara's phone buzzes in her hand. She clicks it open, expecting it to be Sokka or Aang wondering where they are and why they are late. 

It isn't. 

**6:42 p.m - Uncle Iroh:** Miss Katara! I am aware that you normally don't come in on Friday nights, but I was hoping you could do me a favor just for tonight. Take it as repaying me for the loan I had given you a few weeks ago if you wish! As you know, Miss Jin was supposed to come in at 7 p.m. Unfortunately, this morning, she informed me that she would not be able to make it until at least 10 p.m. Initially, my wonderful nephew was supposed to cover the shift until she arrived. However, he has been invited to a party with his friend! 

**6:43 p.m - Uncle Iroh:** Would you able to come in until Miss Jin can arrive? 

As much as Katara wishes she could simply just ignore this, she knows she can't. 

**6:44 p.m -** Of course! I'll be there in fifteen minutes.

* * *

It's 10:45 when Katara, at last, stumbles out of the elevator of her brother's apartment, pulling out her key and pushing the door open quickly. 

As soon as she steps in, Aang's dog, Appa, clamors up to her, jumping up to stand on his hind legs, and she kneels down to happily greet him back. She scans the room for the face she really doesn't want to see. 

Luckily, she's clear. 

"Kat!" Sokka yells excitedly, and for a moment, Katara is touched. 

Just for that one moment, however, because he immediately follows it with, "Finally! Can we order food now?" 

Suki, who is snuggled up next to him on the large sofa, rolls her eyes in amusement. "It has been so long. We're all starving, but I'm sure you are too, so I told him we had to wait for you." She informs Katara. "But yes, now we can order food." This is directed to Sokka. 

"Yeah, it's about time, Sugar Queen." Toph agrees from her spot on the leather reclining chair, an evergreen blanket resting on her lap. "Do you want me to die of starvation while I wait for you to drag yourself here?" 

To make sure he isn't left behind, Aang chimes in with, "Yeah Katara, you couldn't have told your boss to just let you go for tonight? I'm so hungry!" At the sound of his voice, Appa comes running back to settle next to his owner, who is sitting in front of the sofa, cross legged on a cushion with a exuberant smile on his face. 

"It's nice to see you all too." Katara says sarcastically, before she goes on, "You don't think I wanted to? You guys, he told me this was me 'repaying' him for the money he graciously loaned me at the beginning of the year because the meal cards ended up costing more than I expected. How could I possibly say no?" She falls back onto the navy loveseat that sits adjacent from the sofa. 

"Well, you're still going to pay Gramps back, aren't you?" Toph half-asks, half-states, since she already knows the answer.

"Of course, but _still_. He didn't have to do that, I can't bail on him if he asks." Katara groans, grabbing the last white blanket from underneath the coffee table and wrapping herself in it. "Plus, he wasn't even going to ask me, his nephew was actually going to cover it at first. But the second that jerk gets an invite to some party, he just goes running and leaves his uncle in the lurch."

"Katara! You don't even know him!" Aang chides, forever the optimist. "It could be a very important party for all we know." This ray of sunshine apparently advocates for the goodness for random strangers too, although that's not really that surprising, now that Katara thinks about it. 

"Yeah, right. _So_ very important that he finds out about it the day of the party." She scoffs back. 

"Guys, who cares? It's way too late for dinner already." Sokka cuts through, tired of all the childish banter that's getting in the way of him and food. "Zuko!" Katara's blood freezes. "What do you want to order?" 

"Hey!" Toph complains. "You ask him but us?! Loyalty gets you nowhere." 

Katara turns her head to view the hallway of rooms Sokka had made sure his voice reached. Before she can process anything, Zuko emerges from his room, seemingly not realizing her presence. "I still can't find my phone." He announces to the group.

"Don't look at me, I didn't touch your phone." Toph quips, holding her hands up in innocence. 

As he nears, she slinks herself into the sofa, pulling the blanket over her head in an effort to disappear.

Honestly, Katara really doesn't know how to feel around him or how she should act. One part of her is embarrassed for blowing up on him for something that she now knows isn't really a big deal and honestly pretty uncalled for and rude, yet the other part of her is still simmering with anger that she can't tuck away. 

Neither part of her want to see him, especially during the night she is supposed to spending with her friends. 

Why is he even here? Last she heard, Suki thought he was a hothead, Toph thought he was a stick in the mud, and Aang... well Aang probably liked him, although he most likely had no reason to. 

Now he gets to trespass on their sacred Friday night hangouts? Katara knows she's being stupid and childish, and she really wouldn't mind if someone she even _tolerated_ had been invited to spend the night with them.

But _Zuko_? Out of anyone in the world, the one person that is causing her more stress than all of her pre-med college classes combined is now here looking for his phone in the damn refrigerator, because _that_ makes sense. 

Still hiding like an idiot underneath the blanket, she pulls out her phone to question her friends about why he's here, and why they didn't even _tell her_. 

**The Gaang💨💚🌊🌏⚔:**

**10:49 p.m -** why in the name of tui and la is zuko here?!

 **10:50 p.m - Aang😇:** What's wrong with him????

 **10:50 p.m - Sokka💀:** yeahh i thought u liked him now

 **10:51 p.m - Aang😇:** Yeah, I thought u and Sparky were cool now (that was Toph I'm just texting for her because she can't use her voice to text thing while Zuko's here)

Well, in their defense, Katara hadn't told anyone except Suki anything other than the fact that they had met to work on their project and had gotten out to get some dinner. How were they supposed to know she wouldn't be fine with it?

 **10:51 p.m -** ugh nvm

 **10:51 p.m -** SUKI

 **10:52 p.m - Suki💞:**...yeah?

 **10:52 p.m -** WHY WOULD U LET THEM INVITE ZUKO

 **10:52 p.m -** AND NOT EVEN WARN ME??!!

 **10:53 p.m - Suki💞:** sokka just invited him! he was leaving to get to some job or something and sokka felt bad and told him it was friday night and he should come relax and cool down with us. 

**10:53 p.m - Suki💞:** what was i supposed to do?

 **10:53 p.m -** okay fine, u couldn't stop that

 **10:54 p.m -** but u could've atleast warned me!

 **10:54 p.m -** why didn't u just send me a text letting me know?

 **10:54 p.m - **Suki💞:**** u wouldn't have came if u knew before!

 **10:55 p.m -** i would have! it would've just been nice to be prepared, that's all

 **10:55 p.m - **Suki💞:**** kat, u KNOW u wouldn't have came

 ** **10:55 p.m - Suki💞:**** u would've just txted us and told us u were super tired from work and were just going to go home to bed

As much Katara would love to think otherwise, she had to admit, Suki was spot-on. 

**10:56 p.m -** okay, fine, maybe ur right

 **10:56 p.m -** but so what?

 ** **10:56 p.m - Suki💞:**** so? u need socialization w more ppl than me and you've had a long week

 ** **10:57 p.m - Suki💞:**** some random fight w zuko shouldn't change that

 ** **10:57 p.m - Suki💞:**** plus, u and toph were fighting for weeks last year, remember?

 ** **10:57 p.m - Suki💞:**** but u both still hung out w the rest of us and just didn't speak to eachother until u made up

 **10:58 p.m -** i distinctly remember storming off in the middle of War or Peace

 **10:58 p.m -** and we were playing games in our own dorm! i had to crash at yue's!

 **10:58 p.m -** plus, it's different w toph!

 ** **10:59 p.m - Suki💞:**** different how? 🧐

"Katara?" _No_ _._ "Is that you?" _What does it look like, Zuko?_ "Why are you hiding?"

 _Perfect_. 

She pulls the blanket down sheepishly, not knowing what to say or how he exactly he feels about her (or how exactly she feels about him). "Oh, hey Zuko. I'm just... really cold." 

She hears Suki stifle a laugh and Toph heave into an obviously fake cough. 

"Oh! Oh, okay... okay." He mumbles. "Do you... um, want me to turn the temperature up?" 

"No! No, it's okay. I'm good." She assures him. 

The awkwardness in the air is deafening. 

Sokka clears his throat. "Anyways, so what do you want to order, Zuko?" For once in her life, Katara is glad her brother cares so much about food.

"Me? Oh, I'm good for anything." Zuko says, a little stricken.

"Yeah, but what's your _preference_ , Sparky?" Toph inquires.

Aang and Suki join in, trying to prod into Zuko and force him to concede and tell them all what he wants. Zuko shuffles as he stands. He looks as if he wants nothing more than to run for the hills, and he keeps insisting and failing to convince her friends that anything is fine for him. 

In a split second, Katara makes the impromptu decision to take some pity on his nervous state, indiscreetly typing up the place they went for dinner a few days ago that she knows for a fact that he likes and making sure they deliver. They do. 

"How about ordering from The Blazing Snowflake?" Katara suggests, interrupting Aang, who was trying to play a Would You Rather game with Zuko to try to make him confess a place he likes. 

Zuko's single eyebrow raises in surprise, and he looks over at her with a small but genuine smile ~~that makes her heart flutter in her chest~~. "Oh, that sounds good!" 

The ice breaks, and in this moment, they have both exchanged a silent camaraderie agreement, at least for the remainder of the night. 

The six of them spend the next few hours enjoying each other's company, eating the food that Katara suggested, and snacking on fire flakes. They binge Toph's choice (a mover with the worst graphic effects ever that the rest of them all make fun of, but that doesn't matter to Toph - obviously), a rom-com that leaves Suki and Katara sobbing by the end of it, and an endangered species documentary that only Aang would decide to watch outside of school. 

By the end of the documentary, they have all dozed off, including Aang himself.

* * *

When Katara finally wakes up, golden sunlight streams through the windows. She glances at the clock, her eyes practically bugging out of her head when she realizes what time it is. She throws the blanket that she'd wrapped around herself to the floor, startling Zuko, who had been sleeping on the opposite end of the same sofa she had. 

"What, what happened?" He mutters drowsily. 

"It's 7:48! I have swim practice at 8!" She whisper-shrieks, running her fingers through her hair in an effort to tame the knots that have formed. 

Zuko looks equally alarmed. "What?! I have fencing practice at 8 too! And I left my car at my uncle's!" 

Katara snickers, which makes him ask her, "what?"

"You _fence_?" She whispers incredulously. 

"Um, yeah. What's wrong with that?" He tries to play it off casually, but she can see right through his facade to his embarrassment. 

She hastily pulls her still-tangly hair back into a messy ponytail, saying, "Nothing, I just can't imagine you doing that." She pauses for a second before adding, "If you don't have your car here though, I can give you a ride to the lockers and drive you to your uncle's afterwards to pick up your car." 

Zuko considers this for a long minute - a minute they really don't have time for. "It's really no problem." Katara insists. "I owe you anyways." 

"Okay, thanks." He relents finally with a sigh. 

As they slip out of the apartment silently (although, they could be stomping and screaming and Sokka, Suki, Aang, and Toph wouldn't even notice), Katara mentally assures herself that this will be absolutely, positively _fine_. 

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was a really fun chapter to write, so i hope it's fun to read too! i was thinking about continuing but i had already made the chapter long enough, so i thought i might as well end it here and continue this in the next chapter. 
> 
> please let me know if you're liking this and if you want more! again, i would love to hear from any of you! thanks for reading, and i hope you have a great day:))


	6. the more you say, the less i know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, a late update, i know! anyways though, i didn't have much inspiration for this chapter but i hope it's still fun to read!
> 
> \- xoxo zara

It's a bit ironic how their roles seem to be completely reversed since their first meeting. 

The unspoken truce they had called for in the midst of the chaos last night had been natural and easy to maintain. The two of them had avoided directly speaking to one another throughout the night, although Katara wasn't sure if that was a conscious decision they had both made. 

Aang had taken a liking to Zuko immediately, throwing him genuine compliments (that came across a bit backhanded to Katara, yet seemed to go unnoticed and appreciated by Zuko). Toph had seemed to like him to, simply because he had plenty of qualities that she could tease him over. Suki also seemed friendly towards him, and Katara had a sneaking suspicion that Suki was only encouraged by Katara's mixed feelings about him. 

When Sokka had invited Zuko to next Friday's hangout (what it would be was yet to be decided) before the documentary, Katara didn't object, mentally nor physically. Her anger has subsided, for the most part, especially after spending last night with the carefree and relaxed Zuko that she might kind of like, in a platonic way, of course. After all, it really wasn't her place to get mad at him about such an insignificant misdoing.

She knows that, she does.

She had simply mistook the relationship, the trust, for something Zuko hadn't. 

It's something Katara does often. While she is the first to hold grudges and judge people based on her first impressions of them, if they make it past that, she has a tendency to hold onto a tad more hope than she probably should.

She knows, it's complicated and conflicted and a bit hypocritical, but Katara never said she was perfect. 

Both of them are drowsy and a tiny bit hungover (Sokka and Suki had slipped them a flask after dinner when Aang ~~and Toph~~ weren't looking), so they don't say much. Katara decides to play some instrumental music on her phone (she doesn't feel like asking him, and she assumes music without words should be unproblematic), turning up the volume and placing it in a cup holder next to her seat. 

She's relieved to find that the silence is fairly comfortable this time around - maybe it's because they are both struggling to stay awake after the late and exhausting night they had experienced, maybe it's... something else. Maybe it's the music. 

It doesn't really matter to Katara, honestly. 

Driving is calming to Katara. She loves driving at night, when the crowded streets and hustle and bustle fade into a ghost town that only Katara would enjoy. It's quiet, mostly; something she rarely gets a taste of, what with her busy schedule, overly talkative best friend/roommate, and living at a tiny dorm at BSSU.

She has never been a morning person, only ever being awake by choice during a sunrise being because she's stayed up all night.

But she's been a competitive swimmer since she moved to Republic City when she was nine, and swim practices are always held at the crack of dawn without any regard for Katara's preferences or input... so driving in the morning is a must that she's slowly and reluctantly grown accustomed to. 

It's because of the calm, the quiet, that Katara finally has the time and mindset to let herself think about what had happened between Zuko and herself, and what will happen if they continue acting the way they are. 

She knows they are almost there now, and Katara inhales, begrudgingly swallowing her pride (and will to crash the car into a nearby tree). With a huff, she says, "Look, I'm sorry about what happened that day at the diner. I was out of line with everything that I said, and you shouldn't have to tell me something you don't want to."

She waits, holding her breath for something, anything. 

Radio silence. 

Sighing, she continues. "Can we just put that in the past and move on?" 

He still doesn't even _reply_. 

"Okay, you know what, Zuko? You don't have to love me. I'm not your biggest fan either. But my friends all seem to like you, especially my brother, who is your _roommate_. So it would be nice if we could be civil, at least." She pauses for a second. "...and if you could reply." She adds, not that it'll do much.

 _Still nothing_.

"You know what, if that's how you're going to be, _fine_." She scoffs, finally fed up with his rudeness and refusal to even respond to, much less accept, her apology.

"No, no. _Sorry,_ that sounds good." He tells her at last, and _just this once_ , Katara decides to just let it slide. 

As she swerves her car into the parking lot, she simply answers with, "Okay."

* * *

"Take a right here, and then keep driving straight." Zuko tells her, pointing to the intersection. He's guiding Katara towards his Uncle's house (well, really, it's a tea shop with a quaint apartment on the upstairs floor). "It's on the left side of this street, I'll tell you when to pull over."

"Oh, okay. I actually work on this street." She comments, scanning over the view from her window as she drives briskly. 

When they near the tea shop on the edge of the street, he tells her they have made it. Katara's face scrunches up in puzzlement. "Wait, your Uncle lives at The Jasmine Dragon?" She asks him cautiously, trying to put the pieces together in her mind. 

The first thought that pops into Zuko's head is how she knows what the tea shop is called, but he catches sight of the name shining above the door in golden and quickly moves on. "Well, technically, he lives in the apartment above it. He owns the tea shop." He explains, yet Katara still looks confused.

"Wait, so your Uncle is Uncle Iroh?" She clarifies, a bit bewildered. She knows Iroh isn't actually her uncle, but the old man made Katara and all her friends call him Uncle after she had started working there and they all started coming to hangout there. 

Zuko, however, is utterly confused. How would she know his Uncle's name? Moreover, why did she call him Uncle Iroh? 

"Um, yeah... how would you -" He begins to question her, but she interrupts him before he gets a chance.

"The Jasmine Dragon is where I - I, I work for your uncle." She explains. "I've worked there since my freshman year at BSSU, and all of us love to hangout there and study after classes." She suddenly comes to a realization, her eyes squinting at him. " _Wait_ , so if... that means that _you_ are the nephew that bailed out on Iroh and forced me to cover last night because you were off at some... _party?"_

His eyes widen in horror. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it would make you have to work, I mean, I didn't even know you worked here at all!" He says quickly, and at first he is met with silence. He supposes its payback for keeping quiet while Katara had tried to apologize earlier.

Out of all the things Zuko prepared himself for, he certainly didn't prepare for Katara to start _laughing_. 

"You call _that_ a party?" She snickers. "You must really not get out much." Taking a deep breath, she calms herself down, though a hint of amusement is still sprawled across her face. "Sorry. It's fine though, you didn't know. I get it." (See also: she really does not want to get into another fight with him over something ridiculous, so she completely overturns her anger with laughter because she's crazy - but hey, it works). 

A glimmer of a smile appears on Zuko's face too, if you look hard enough. "No, it's okay. You are right on the money." He admits, because if she can be easygoing, he can at least be honest. 

"I like being right." She grins, her azure eyes shining at him and sending a shockwave through his spine. 

"I can definitely see that." He agrees, drumming his fingers on the shoddy dashboard of her car. 

A few silent moments pass. Katara chews on her lip, looking around the whole car as if it's a beautiful piece of scenery. "So..." She starts, as if she's about to say something more, although it's perfect clear to both of them that there is no end to her sentence. 

"Oh, right." He realizes, mentally face-palming himself. Why is he still here? "Uh, thanks for the ride." He tells her awkwardly, his fingers lingering near the door handle. 

"Yeah, no worries." She replies with a small but sincere smile. "I'll, um, text you. About the project." 

"Okay!" He says, a bit too excitedly. "I mean, yeah, that sounds good." 

"Okay, yeah." She nods, her smile becoming more strained.

He pulls the handle and pushes the door open, dropping one foot onto the paved marblestone. He's unable to get out of the car fully, as if some sort of invisible string is keeping him there. "My dad." He says suddenly, tentatively, and Katara looks over at him as if he's crazy. 

"What?" She asks, tilting her head in obvious confusion. 

"My dad," He repeats, before realizing he wasn't making any sense and should probably explain himself further. "He's, um, a politician, and I had to take PoliSci because of him, but I'm more interested in business, especially because of my Uncle," he motions towards the tea shop behind her, ".... hence the double major." 

Her eyes widen in realization. " _Oh!_ Zuko... I'm really sorry about that. You shouldn't have to tell me unless you want to."

"I did want to." He says automatically, half to her and half to himself. His voice is soft, gentle, and it bubbles up something inside of Katara that she can't quite explain, but can't seem to stop thinking about either. 

"I, um, I'll talk to you later, okay? Okay." He continues, binding his words together and not giving Katara any chance to respond before he jumps out of the car and practically runs out of her view and into the safety of The Jasmine Dragon. 

* * *

**9:43 a.m -** SUKI

 **9:44 a.m -** idk what even happened

 **9:44 a.m -** R U AWAKE

 **9:45 a.m - Suki **💞:**** NOW I AM

 **9:45 a.m - Suki **💞:**** what happened?!

 **9:45 a.m -** i'm calling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pretty uneventful chapter, but i didn't know how else to continue it and thought it was best to just end it where it was. please let me know what you guys think and if you want to see more from this story! 
> 
> have a great day:))


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